A person’s home is their castle. It’s the place they should feel safe and comfortable. When a person buys a standard home insurance coverage policy they are protecting themselves for those “just in case” moments when bad things could occur. Homeowner’s insurance typically pays for damage or destruction to a person’s house and their personal property.

Does owning and using a safe to store your valuables get you a discount on your homeowner’s insurance? Sometimes it does. It’s a smart idea to mention that you keep your expensive items locked up in a safe and see what your particular insurance company thinks about that– they may offer you a discount on your premium because the likelihood of anything bad happening to items in a safe is low.

sure. Because they’re locked away in a safe, these items are essentially safe from damage or destruction. Safes offer both security and fire protection– two things insurance companies appreciate.

Some insurance companies keep a list of certain safe brands that will specifically help you get discounts. Things like “fire ratings” or the size and strength of the bolts/locks can come into play with the idea that the stronger the safe, the better chance that whatever’s in it will not be easily stolen or destroyed…hence, the insurance company can “rest easy” knowing they won’t have to pay for replacing certain valuable, expensive items since the safe is so…safe.

In the past, people used to think of storing their important items in a bank’s “safe deposit box.” Today, with personal safes being affordable, it makes more sense to own your own safe for use in your own home so you have unrestricted access to it at any time. Furthermore, there’s a peace-of-mind that comes from knowing where your specific valuables are being kept and that you can use your combination to open your safe to check on the items at any time.

When looking to buy your own safe, always buy one that’s physically bigger than you think you need at the time. Bigger is better when buying a safe as you’ll tend to fill the space up over time. Factors to consider include the thickness of the safe’s metal (or other materials), its type of locking mechanism, and its fire rating.

If you notice the term “TL-15,” which include some of the safes for sale on Value Safe’s website, that means the safe door can successfully resist entry for a net assault time of 15 minutes when attacked with common hand tools, picking tools, mechanical or portable electric tools, grinders, drills or pressure devices. A TL-30’s safe door can pass the same test for 30 minutes. Do note, however, that this does not include attacks on the sides or top. If you want a safe that is extremely strong on all 6 sides, choose a TRTL-30X6, which can withstand a 30 minute torch/tool attack on all 6 sides of the safe.

When you think about the security of the valuables, cash and important documents used by your business, one of the first things that should come to mind is safes. A good bolted down safe can keep burglars from getting to these valuable items – they’ll have to settle for what’s easiest to take if they break in. Think about the documents or computer backup data that would be nearly impossible to replace if lost in a burglary or a fire.

So a good burglary rated, fireproof safe is a must for any business. Check to make sure the safe is rated in both of these areas. Some common burglary ratings are UL TL 15 and TL 30. Some commone fireproof ratings are a 1 hour or 2 hour fireproof rating. These ratings mean that these safes have been tested to withstand burglars attempts to open them and tested under actual fire conditions. If you need to safeguard valuable computer backup media, make sure you get a special media fireproof safe, as these have a much stricter rating to ensure that your media would not be damaged during a fire.

Jewelry safes offer a high degree of security for your valuables. Jewelry safes carry a burglary rating, such as the UL TL 15 or TL 30 rating. This rating means that the jewelry safes have been tested against attempts to open them. For example, a TL 15 rating means that a professional locksmith using common locksmithing tools was unable to open the safe in a period of 15 minutes.

Jewelry safes are constructed of special materials. They usually have 5″ thick doors and 1-1/2″ thick steel bodies. They use 1-1/2″ steel locking bolts, and the locking mechanism is surrounded by drill-resistant hardened steel plate. They are designed to be bolted to the floor from the inside. So if you want the most in security for your valuables, consider getting a jewelry safe. For more information on jewelry safes.

Depository safes are safes that don’t require opening in order for items to be stored in them. They allow you to give an employee the ability to add something to the safe without them knowing the combination or pin number to the safe. They are ideal for keeping large amounts of cash during the day. You should move the cash to a more secure safe or to the bank at night, though. Depository safes are designed to keep someone from “fishing” the contents back out through the opening, but they’re not burglar-proof.

If you make it a policy for your employees to make a deposit of large bills or whenever the cash register contains a certain amount, a depository safe could save you a lot of money during a robbery. Even if you happen to be there when a robbery takes place, you can claim ignorance to the combination. But be careful, the robber may have cased the store and know that you’re the owner or manager – no amount of money is worth risking your life over. For more information about depository safes.

If your business deals with a lot of cash or other small valuables, a depository safe can save you time and money. A depository safe is designed to accept small objects like jewelry or cash placed in envelopes without having to open the safe. You just drop the item in a slot or hopper to deposit it into the safe. These safes have built-in baffles to keep someone from “fishing” the contents back out through the opening. So, for example, you could have your cashiers deposit large cash amounts periodically throughout the day or night, so that the cash register never contains a large amount of cash.

If your business is robbed and the cashier does not have access to the depository safe, your cash is safe. A depository safe is not really designed to protect your valuables from a determined burglar, however, so you should periodically empty it and place the contents in a more secure safe or take it to the bank. Depository safes come in all shapes and sizes, with different sized openings, so there’s sure to be one that’s right for your business.